the psychodynamic explanation for schizophrenia

Psychopathology (schizophrenia) The psychodynamic explanation for schizophreniaDescribe (AO1)Freud believed that schizophrenia was a result of regression to the pr-ego stageand the symptoms were attempts to re-establish ego control. The delusions ofgrandeur reflect the primitive condition whilst others such as auditoryhallucinations reflect the person's attempts to regain ego control. It is thoughtthere is some sort of conflict that happened in childhood to cause the potential todevelop schizophrenia. It could be that distorted or disturbed families may causethe unconscious conflict and have an influence on whether or not a child willbecome schizophrenic.Evaluation (AO2) No direct evidence for Freud's theory, it is not falsifiable. If the ego, id and superego don't exist then the explanation is invalid. Psychoanalysts believe that family patterns are thought to be the cause of this disorder. Fromm-Reichmann described mothers of schizophrenics as rejecting, overprotective, dominant and moralistic. However, this study could lack validity as it only involves the influence of the mothers and not the fathers on the child's development. Correlational evidence- whilst there is a link between a child`s schizophrenic behaviour and the mothers behaviour, it doesn't prove that the mothers behaviour is the cause of the child becoming schizophrenic, so it may not support the psychodynamic explanation. Doesn't' account for all the symptoms of schizophrenia, as it only explains delusions of grandeur and auditory hallucinations Reductionist as it ignores other explanations such as genes or enlarged ventricles. Therefore we can only gain a limited understanding of the reasons for schizophrenia. Deterministic This explanation causes a person to blame their mother for them being schizophrenic. Therefore the patient has no free will over if they became schizophrenic or who to blame. This can cause people to be blamed for causing schizophrenic leading to conflict.